10 moves to feel happier

10 moves to feel happier

Johnny's '59 Lincoln

1959 Lincoln Mark IV Continental Convertible

Johnny was 15 years old in the early 1960's.  He lived with his dad in a huge mansion in Birmingham.  He couldn't wait to get his first car.  Somehow, he talked his father (who was well off) into buying him a custom '59 Lincoln Mark IV Continental convertible.  It was painted pearl white and in beautiful condition.  The seats were black and white leather with black carpeting and a matching black and white steering wheel.

Johnny's Lincoln was parked in the driveway, covered by a car cover.  He wouldn't be allowed to drive it until he turned 16 and got his driver's license.  

His best friends tried to convince him to sneak it out of the driveway after his dad was sleeping but Johnny's father was very strict about the rules of the house and Johnny wasn't interested:

• No video games on school nights
• No leaving the house after 10 pm
• No visitors unless his dad was home
• No stealing his beer
• No driving until you turn 16 AND get your driver's license

A couple months after the '59 Lincoln was purchased, Johnny's dad left for an overnight business trip.  His Grandma Jean was supposed to come stay with him, but she ended up coming down with a stomach flu and had to cancel at the last minute.  Johnny's father decided to let him stay alone over night.

Johnny's friend Reg caught wind of this news and descended on Johnny.  

Reg was Johnny's closest friend.  He had gone through a growth spurt during the past summer and towered over Johnny.  His hair and clothes looked as if he had just rolled out of bed.  Reg lived with his mom on the next block down from Johnny.  They had met on the bus their first day of Kindergarten and they've been best friends since.  Reg was like a little devil that sat on Johnny's shoulder and got him in trouble all the time and this time would be no different.

"Johnny, he'll never find out, we'll mark chalk dots on the driveway cement so we can put the car back exactly where it was," Reg said.  

"No way!" Johnny shouted.

"Ok, how about if we just sit in it and put the convertible top down?"

"I guess that would be ok." Johnny mumbled.

Reg wasted no time grabbing the keys from the hook inside the kitchen cupboard and raced out the front door where the car sat.

They uncovered the car together.  Reg unlocked the driver's door, jumped in and stuck the key in the ignition to turn the car on.  The glass packs made a loud deep rumbling sound.  Johnny prayed his neighbors wouldn't hear anything.  They were good friends with his dad and would rat him out in a second.   Reg found the power top switch just as Johnny's butt hit the passenger's  seat, the top quickly retracted. 

Reg cranked up the radio and without a word spoken they both leaned back in their seats  and looked up at the sky.  It was a beautiful, clear summer's night and the stars were sparkling.  

Johnny smiled.  "This is pretty great" he thought to himself.

"Let's take her for a quick drive down Woodward and back, just for 5 minutes," Reg said excitedly.

"NO WAY! You don't have you driver's license either, Reg!" Johnny yelled.

The two of them argued back and forth until, like always, Johnny gave in to Reg's nagging.

Reg decided he would be the one to drive, since his mom had let him drive around the parking lot at the high school a few times.  

They slowly crept the convertible out of the driveway and down to the stop sign.  Two turns and they'd be flying down Woodward (just south of 15 Mile Road).  

Reg waited until all four lanes on Woodward were clear.  His heart was racing.  He slammed on the gas, both their heads jerked backwards from the sudden acceleration.  He stayed in the right lane, he only hit the curb a couple times before getting a feel for the beast.

They decided they'd go down to 13 Mile, turn around and head back home.  As Reg grew closer to the Ram's Horn Restaurant (just north of 13 Mile on Woodward), he and Johnny began to hear a rattling noise.  Within seconds the hood flew open and completely blocked Reg's view of the road.  They both began to scream.  Reg closed his eyes and with both fee, slammed on the brakes.  Tires screeched and horns honked all around them.  

When Reg opened his eyes, flashes of blue and red reflected off the car's hood, which was pointing straight up to the sky.  Both boys slowly turned around.  Two Royal Oak police officers approached the Lincoln, one on each side.

"Sir, can I see your license and registration?"   

Reg burst into tears and told them everything.  Johnny sat quietly shaking his head from side to side.

The police called Johnny's father and had his Lincoln towed back to Johnny's house.

Johnny lost his video game privileges and his freedom for six months.  He mowed lawns to reimburse his dad for the hood and towing expenses.

Oh and Reg...he decided to steer clear of Johnny's house until school started back up in the fall.

 

 

Paul's Love of Cars

Paul's Story

Paul grew up two blocks from the local car dealership.  He lived in the times of black and white televisions.  Where women wore dresses and heels every day and men always wore hats.

Every morning Paul would ride his red Schwinn bicycle to school and pass by the chain link fence outside the dealership, stopping to admire all the cars that were lined up row after row, Studebaker's, Packard's, all post-war cars.

Paul would frequently get detention after school for being caught drawing sketches of cars on his notebooks or in the margins of his papers.

Paul's dad was amazing and he understood his son's obsession with cars.  To appease Paul, his father would point to passing cars and say "Paul, what kind of car is that?"  This was Paul's favorite game!  More than playing marbles or jacks, "what car is that' was HIS game.

His dad would take him to auto shows that would come to town.  When Christmas rolled around, Paul had just turned 10.  His gift from his dad was a Sears Craftsman Tool Set.

When Paul turned 13, he got his first ride in a 1958 Lincoln Continental.  It belonged to a friend of his dads who actually understood the fact that Paul was obsessed with cars.  He even let him drive it up and down a few of the back roads of Detroit.

Paul said there were rumors that this car belonged to a member of the Detroit Mafia, but he didn't care who it belonged to.  He got to DRIVE a car at 13 years old!

When Paul went off to college, he and his room mates got the opportunity of a lifetime to buy a 1956 Packard Caribbean for $600.  They jumped at the chance and slowly restored it through their four years of college.

 Senior year, they drove to the Upper Peninsula to visit a friend from high school.  It was the dead of winter and the friend was out on a lake ice fishing.  I guess you can blame the case of Schlitz malt liquor (liquid courage) for the reason Paul's friend drove the 3500 lb. car out onto the ice

As you have probably already deduced, the ice buckled under the weight of the Packard and their beautiful 56 Packard sunk to the bottom of the lake, brown and tan beer cans began to pop up to the surface among the broken ice.  Luckily for Paul and his inebriated friends, no one was injured.

Paul's next car was supposed to be a Vette, but he ended up with a 1963 Triumph Spitfire...but we'll save that story for another blog!

Bob's 66 Corvette Stingray

1966 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Mike and Mark had just parked and ordered two large, frosty A&W root beers, double cheeseburgers and curly fries.  Suddenly, they heard the familiar rumble of Bob's 66 Corvette rolling into the parking lot of the local drive in.

Bob was a huge man.  He was in his late 50's, stood at 6'5" and must have weighed over 270 lbs.  Mike and Mark were amazed he could squeeze his huge frame in and out of his Corvette.  He made Mike and Mark look like small children.


The "cool guys" would meet up at A&W every Wednesday evening during the summer.   Classic cars from all over would take over the restaurant for the evening.  The owner didn't mind at all.  For the most part, they were a respectful group of guys.  They were great for business too.

Luckily for Mike and Mark, Bob liked them.  While Bob was pulling into A&W, an old wood paneled station wagon pulled in right behind him.  Four young girls, music blaring, bouncing up and down to the beat.  They were laughing and smiling, having a great time enjoying the warm, summer evening.

Unfortunately, the girl driving the station wagon wasn't paying much attention to what was going on in front of her.  Her car rolled forward and over the blaring radio echoed the sound of a sickening "CRACK".  The young girl had hit the back of Bob's pristine Corvette.

Mike and Mark heard the engine of the Vette shut down.  The door of Bob's car flew open.  Mike and Mark start chewing faster and harder, like two kids eating popcorn during the climax of a movie at the theatre.

Bob walked to the back of his Vette, to view how much damage has been done to his baby's bumper.  Without a word or even a glance towards the cowering teenagers, Bob walked back to his car, leaned into his car window and pulled out a shiny, metal baseball bat.

Mike and Matt's mouths simultaneously stop chewing.  "Holy sh--" Mike whispered.  Both were frozen from the scene unfolding before their eyes.    Why does he have a bat in his backseat?  they wonder.  He doesn't even play baseball.  Maybe he had been saving it for an occasion such as this!

Still silent, Bob lumbered up to the front of the station wagon, faced the windshield,lifted the bat above his head with both hands, and with all of his power, repeatedly smashed the bat into the hood of the wagon.  

The nervous teenage girls began screaming and wrapping their arms around each other. One had her hands over her ears to muffle the sickening thud of his baseball bat slamming into the hood of their car.

When Bob was done, he walked quietly back to his Vette.  Threw the bat into the passengers seat and poured his huge frame back into his seat.  He started up his car and calmly and slowly, pulled into the unoccupied space next to Mike and Mark (who were laughing uncontrollably about what had just went down).

 A car-hop skillfully rolled up on her old school roller-skates. Bob placed his order as if nothing had happened, ordering his usual, cheeseburger with extra pickles, curly fries and large root beer float.

Mike and Mark leaned over, still snickering and said "How's it going, Bob?"

"Just fine.  What are you guys up to?"

Meanwhile, behind them, the four teenage girls have pulled their beaten and bruised station wagon into a  parking spot, far away from Bob, and have gotten out to see the damage.  All of them crying and freaking out.

The manager suddenly appeared next to Bob's car window and gave him a heads up that the cops were on their way.

"Who cares.  Let 'em come.  I'm still eating my dinner."

In less than five minutes, four cop cars rolled up. A police officer walked carefully up to Bob's drivers side window.  Bob recognized the officer.  They had butted heads more than a couple times over the past few years.  Bob hated this guy.

 "I need you to get out of your car now."  said Officer Tom.

"Why?  If I get out of my car, I'm gonna hurt somebody."

The officer kept insisting and eventually Bob got out of his Vette and showed the officer the damage to his bumper.

"Look at that!"  Bob yelled.

"What?" the officer replied.

"Look closer" said Bob

The officer bent down, his face an inch away from the bumper of Bob's car.  Bob suddenly did the unthinkable and smashed the officer in the face with his giant knee sending blood spurting from Officer Tom's nose.

At that point, all hell broke loose.   It took 4 officers to hold Bob down.  He was taken away to jail in handcuffs.

A week later, Mike and Mark saw Bob pull in to A& W.  He took up his usual space right next to them. Bob informed them he was out on bail.  While Mike and Mark were chatting, Bob spotted the arresting officer sitting across the street in his patrol car.  Bob stopped in mid sentence, his eyes grew dark and cold  and he took of running.  According to Mike and Mark, he beat the tar out of the officer and was put back in jail.  This time he got four years.

Sadly, Mike and Mark learned that within a year after Bob's release from serving four years in jail, he was killed in a car crash while being chased by the police!

Sean's First Classic Car!

1968 Ford Mustang Coupe

In the fall of 2010, Sean began to research 1960's Mustangs for sale.  He looked on Craig's List, E bay, and local newspapers.  He researched engine sizes, body types, exterior colors and interior colors.  His three requirements before purchasing a Mustang were:

• $3,000 or less
• Must have cool racing stripe in paint job
• Must have been built in the late 1960's

Sean looked on line and in newspapers for over a year before finding a 1968 Ford Mustang Coupe, 289 V8 engine.  The car was located in Maine, Sean lived in Michigan.

Now, I should probably mention that Sean is 13 years old!  He was twelve, when he started this huge undertaking of finding his first car. 

 Sean's passion for classic cars began sometime around the third grade.  He loved to spend Saturday afternoons watching the Mecum Auto Auction on television with his dad.  They would watch for hours at a time together and still do!

Every August, he looks forward to heading up to Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, Michigan with his parents and younger brother and sister for the annual Woodward Dream Cruise, where thousands of classic cars come together every year.  They cruise in his mom's restored 1968 Ford Mustang!  I think you can see where his passion for the Ford Mustang came from.  His Grandma Chris also had a classic Ford Mustang, a 66 Ford Mustang Coupe!

For four years Sean saved up $1500 mowing lawns, shoveling driveways and doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. His father agreed to match his $1500 towards his first car.

On a cold sunny day in November of 2011, Sean's 1968 Ford Mustang was delivered to his home all the way from the state of Maine!  The pictures at the beginning of this blog were taken the morning it arrived.

Sean's hopes and dreams are to restore the Mustang, one piece at a time, with his dad's help, guidance and money!  In Sean's defense, I should say he is saving up all of his money to help his dad pay for the restoration pieces.

His goal is to have it restored by the time he receives his drivers permit, in two years. 

Now that spring has arrived, Sean can be found every day after school either in the garage or in his mom's driveway working on his new toy!  Last weekend he replaced the front brake pads and polished the exterior!

His largest and most expensive renovation will be the interior,  it needs to be completely replaced. 

Sean's ultimate dream is to own a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302! 

 

I believe with the passion and drive he has already, he'll have no problem fulfilling his dream!

 

Bob's 1964 Ford Galaxy 500 XL

1964 Ford Galaxy 500 XL

This week's post is close to my heart.  I will be sharing my older brother Bob's classic car story about his 1964 Ford Galaxy 500 XL.  Bob bought the car from a local ad he had seen in the Royal Oak Daily Tribune.  He paid $2,800 for it in 1972.

His Galaxy was durable, reliable and surprisingly comfortable to ride in.  For those of you bloggers that love to hear the specs of these cars here you go!  18 inch wheels, 233 6 cylinder with the 3 speed on the column, for being a Detroit owned car it had very little rust. 1964 was the fourth and final year for this body style.

Bob was a 17 year old junior at Royal Oak Kimball High School at the time he purchased this car.

We were living on a beautiful, tree lined street named BonnieView, in Royal Oak, Michigan.

On a sunny Saturday in July, Bob picked up his blind date, Karen and the two of them drove off, windows down, hair blowing in the wind in his 64 Galaxy 500, destination...Pine Knob to see Jefferson Starship perform.

Bob and Karen pulled into the parking lot, joining several of his friends for a tailgate party.  Several cocktails later, Bob and Karen stumbled their way up the seemingly never-ending steps to the top of the hill at Pine Knob.  Karen spread out a blanket and the two of them watched the sun set and the stars come out while songs from the warm up band filled the air.

Everything seemed to be picture perfect between Bob and his blind date.  They realized they had a lot in common.  They talked and laughed until Jefferson Starship came on stage.  The quiet, romantic hill they were perched upon was suddenly rushed by hundreds of screaming, drunk, out of control Jefferson Starship groupies.  Their blanket was trampled, covered in mud and beer.  After an hour of getting shoved around and stepped on, Bob and Karen decided to leave the concert early.

They made their way back down the 150 stairs and out the exit.  They couple made it to the Galaxy with little trouble, but when Bob went to start up the car, he realized the battery was dead.  Turns out Karen had forgotten to turn off the dome light after she put her lipstick on and had killed the battery.  For my younger readers, please understand, this was way before cell phones were around, so Bob went on foot to track down a security car to jump start them.  After a half hour, Bob returned with help.

A quick jump and they were cruising out of the parking lot.  Two short lights and they were on I-75 heading back home.  Bob was showing off to his new girl, doing over 80 down the freeway, stereo cranked as loud as it would go, both smiling and laughing.

They had planned on driving to Pasquales, on Woodward for a late pizza.  Unfortunately, fate had other plans for them.  A mile before the exit to Woodward, thick grey smoke started billowing out from the hood of the Galaxy 500.  So thick, Bob had to roll down the drivers side window and stick his head out to see where he needed to pull over on the shoulder.

Karen jumped out gasping for fresh air while Bob popped the hood to see what was smoking so badly.  He was embarrassed that his blind date wasn't going so well.  The smell of burning rubber filled the hot night air.    Bob kept a water can in the trunk and poured some into the radiator, hoping that would sooth his sick, choking car.

After letting the engine cool down for a bit, they hopped back in and made their way to the Woodward exit.  Bob could tell something wasn't right with his car, it was running rough, luckily Karen didn't know any better.  They pulled up to the light at 11 and Woodward.  It was Saturday night and all four lanes of Woodward were lined up with cars coming and going.

The light turned green.  Bob hit the gas pedal, the Galaxy that usually jumps off the line like a horse at the Kentucky Derby,  dies right in the middle of the intersection and in the middle lane too!  Almost instantly, the sound of car horns begin a chorus behind them.  Bob and Karen are both filled with embarrassment.  Bob thinks fast and puts on his flashers, he has Karen steer and he pushes the dead beast into the gas station at the northeast corner of 11 and Woodward.

Karen had decided she had been through enough on this blind date and used the pay phone to call her dad to come pick her up.  Bob never did hear from Karen after that night.

As for the Galaxy 500, Bob figured out that it wouldn't go forward in DRIVE but it would go backward in REVERSE.  He had no money in the bank to fix his car.  He knew the back roads of Royal Oak extremely well and ended up driving the Galaxy 500 all the way home BACKWARDS!!

Ian's 1967 Chevy Chevelle SS

1967 Chevy Chevelle SS

Ian found this metallic blue 1967 Chevy Chevelle SS on a classic cars for sale website.  He paid $8,500 for it.

The 1967 model was upgraded to include front disc brakes14 inch wheels and a 3 speed automatic 350 engine and rear shock absorbers.

The interior included bucket seats, power windows, rear defrost and an AM/FM stereo system.

Ian bought the car with the intentions of fixing it up and selling it for a profit, to help pay his way through college.  He was renting a house near campus along with 3 of his classmates.  He spent most nights in the 2 car detached garage, staring at the underside of his Chevelle, with only a space heater to keep him warm on the cold Michigan winter nights.  Replacing parts when he could afford them.

His roommates turned out to be very handy under the hood of a car and in between their classes, they would wander out to the garage, beer in hand, offering to help Ian out.

It took over 6 months to fix up the Chevelle to the point where it was safe to drive.  Ian and his roommates would pile in the bucket seats and head down to Detroit.  Their favorite destination was Greektown, for saginaki and beer.  Ian's Chevelle became part of the group.  With it's metallic blue paint, it was easy to recognize cruising through the streets of Detroit.

Ian and his roommates ended up keeping the Chevelle through their 4 years of college.  It had helped them create too many awesome memories to sell.

The year after graduation, Ian sold his pride and joy to a college freshman from his alma mater, hoping to carry on the memories into the next four years.
  

Danny's 1990 Chrysler Imperial

1990 Chrysler Imperial

Lots of chrome, polished stainless steel, shiny new cherry red paint job.  Danny's 1990 Chrysler Imperial came with all the bells and whistles; heated mirrors, leather interior and an electronic dashboard.

Danny had purchased this all american car from his father in law in 1997 for $3,100.  His father in law had kept the Imperial in pristine condition.  The paint job looked brand new, all the chrome was glistening in the sun.  It had been kept in the garage every night and was religiously and meticulously washed every Sunday afternoon, during the spring, summer and fall.  

It was a very reliable car for the 24 year old.  3.1 liter engine, so there wasn't any chance of drag racing in Danny's future!  Because of it's air suspension, it was if you were riding along in a limousine, smooth!  More of a cruising car.

Danny was a newlywed, he and his wife, Brie had just moved into a bungalow in Berkley and were beginning a new life together.  This was their first car as a couple.

In March of 1998, Brie found out she was expecting their first child.  On a cold, snowy winter night in November, Danny found himself driving his reliable, trustworthy 1990 Impala at breakneck speed towards Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital.  Brie was in hard labor.

She sat in the passengers seat, screaming, holding her belly with both hands, like an NBA player with a basketball.  Both Danny and Brie sweating profusely.  Two miles from the emergency entrance baby Josie decided it was time to make her appearance in this big world.  Danny, jerked the wheel and pulled over on the shoulder, somewhere between 11 and 12 Mile on Coolidge Road.  He threw on the emergency flashers and watched helplessly as Josie was born in the front seat!  Never in their wildest dreams would Brie and Danny have thought THIS would be a memory that would be associated with their first car together!

Danny snatched Brie's white sweater from the back seat and gently wrapped the whaling baby girl inside.
He carefully drove his Impala at 20 mph the last two miles and safely delivered his wife and baby girl,  Josie to the awaiting nurses inside the emergency entrance.

Thom's 1970's VW Beetle

1970 Volkswagon Beetle

I really enjoyed listening to the story behind Thom's hunter green 1970 Volkwagon Beetle.  I hope you enjoy it too!

Thom purchased the car used in the fall of 1980.  It was his senior year at Royal Oak Dondero High School.  He saved up his money for four years from his paper route.  He had finally saved up enough to buy his dream car. Thom paid $650 for it.  Bought it from a friend of his parents, who had kept it locked away in their garage for 10 years.

Every Friday night, Thom would pick up his friend, Phil and head over to the football stadium at Dondero to watch the Varsity team play.  Both, Thom and Phil, played a lot of sports in high school, tennis, baseball, golf...but most of their closest friends were on the football team.

After each game, they would head over to McDonalds on 11 Mile Road to stuff themselves with cheeseburgers and french fries.

One Friday night, on the way home from McDonalds, Thoms' beloved green VW started choking and sputtering.  He was able to drop Phil off at his home.  It was almost 1 in the morning, there were no cell phones back then to call for help.  About 3 miles from his home, the car finally released its last breath and Thom pushed it off to the side of the road.  He was right in front of a cemetery; the one in Royal Oak that divides Main Street and Rochester Road, just before 12 Mile Road.  

He was in a state of panic because his curfew was 12 midnight.  His father was very strict about the house rules and Thom's plan to sneak in late was beginning to fall apart.  He tried thumbing a ride, but the longer he hitchhiked, the more nervous he became.

It was almost, 1:30 now...he walked to a nearby gas station and called his friend, Phil.  Phil was able to sneak back out of his own house, pick him up and very stealthily snuck him back into his parents home.

The next morning, his older sister, Joanne, gave him a ride back to where his VW had expired...but there was NO VW anywhere near the cemetery.  "Where is it, what happened?" His sister, being older and wiser, suggested that they stop in at the Royal Oak Police Department to see if they had towed it somewhere.  

Nope, it turns out someone decided they loved that old VW more than Thom did and stole it right off the side of the road.  Thom was devastated.   He had spent all of his cash to buy his dream car and now it was gone.

The police never did recover his Volkswagon.  Thom ended up getting his sister's hand me down, Chevy Chevette for the rest of his senior year.

This year, Thom will be 50 years old, and he still speaks about that Volkswagon as if it was his first born child.  At least he'll always have the memories that he made with his friends while he DID have it.

1972 Plymouth Charger

This week's blog is about a 1972 Plymouth Charger, 340, six pack.  It comes from my good friend Bob, who told me his tale from his high school days in the late 70's.  His friend, Paul, who owned the 1972 Charger, pulled up to Bob's house in Royal Oak and picked him and his friend, John up to go out and cruise Woodward.  It was a Friday night, they had been taking mid-terms all week and were more than ready to blow off some steam.

According to Bob, Paul was driving like a lunatic up and down Woodward (between 12 and 15 Mile Road).  Several times during their cruise, Paul's speedometer blew well past 80 miles per hour.  John and Bob were becoming more and more uncomfortable with Paul's insane driving skills and were yelling at him to "cut it the hell out!"

Paul suddenly veered down a side street, just off of 14 Mile Road.  When he got to a subdivision that looked dark enough, he drove up on some unsuspecting person's lawn, threw it in park,  jumped out and found a bush to pee on, on the side of some unsuspecting homeowners house.

Bob and John decided it was time to teach "lead foot" Paul a lesson.  Bob slid over the console in the front seat, John jumped into the passengers seat.  Bob threw the Charger into drive, slammed the gas pedal to the floor and off they went, across the lawn and back onto the side street.  John was helping drive by working the stick shift, since Bob was busy holding a beer in his right hand to shift!

They took Paul's car back out on Woodward and for 20 minutes, cruised up and down, laughing about what they had just done!  They started to feel bad about leaving Paul and eventually headed back to the neighborhood where they had left him. He was still standing under the stranger's window!  The odd part was, he was talking to the owner (a lady) of the house that was leaning out the window above Paul's head.  Bob and John quickly realized, the woman wasn't angry at Paul, she was flirting with him!

Paul said goodnight, zipped up his pants and nonchalantely walked back to the Charger.  He didn't even care that Bob and John had stolen his car, even though it was only for a brief joy ride.  He hopped back in the driver's seat with a shit eating grin on his face, cranked up his 8-track player, slammed the Charger  into drive and rocketed down the street, shattering the stillness of the sleepy neighborhood.

'71' Orange Barracuda Fish Story!

'71' Plymouth Barracuda

This week's blog comes from a good friend of mine, named Bill.  Bill's turning 60 this spring and has owned classic cars since he was 18!

Bill spent most of  his teen years in Royal Oak, Michigan and told me about one of his first (of many) classic cars, a burnt orange 1971 Plymouth Barracuda!  Actually, at the time he purchased it, it wasn't a classic yet!  He bought it used in 1976 from a nearby neighbor.

The coolest details new to the '71' model was the six segment grille with louvers on the front fenders. The grille color was also new, a pearlescent silver.  Many collectors of the older Barracudas (the first being built in 1964), didn't like the new grille color, but Bill did.

The not so cool detail about Bill's car was that it was only a 6 cylinder and that the interior seats were covered in black molded plastic with wood trim!  "Burned your butt in the summertime!", Bill laughed.

In 1970/71, a six-cylinder base model with radio, power steering, and automatic would cost you around $3,100. Bill bought his used Cuda for $1,500.

One of Bill's favorite stories about cruising around town in his orange Cuda took place one Saturday night when he was driving through Royal Oak with his younger brother, Bob.  On their way to grab dinner at  Pasquales (a great Italian restaurant on Woodward, north of 13 mile), some strange car started following them.  Being that Bill and Bob were a bit stoned at the time, they became paranoid that something bad was going to happen to them and started to speed up.  The car sped up too and stayed with them for several miles.  Finally, Bill pulled over and ran up to the driver's window, pounding his fist on the window.  The mystery driver rolled down his window.  Bill confronted the driver, "What the hell's your problem?  Leave us alone!"  Turns out, the driver wasn't a creeper at all, he wanted to buy Bill's Cuda from him on the spot, until he found out it was only a 6 cylinder and quickly rescinded his offer and pulled away!

Bill kept his car for two years.  He sold it right before he joined the Army,where he was eventually stationed in Germany for a three year tour.

Today, he still enjoys seeing the old classic cars go by.  He never misses attending the Detroit Auto Show or the Dream Cruise.  When I asked him if he'd be purchasing any more classic cars, he smiled and said, "Maybe I'll pick one up for my birthday present this year, hmmmm."

Happy 60th, my friend.

Brie's '57' Chevy

Brie bought her '57'  6 cylinder Chevy for $1,500 in the 1970's from a hippy type guy who had decked out the inside with fuzzy dice, dark blue shag carpeting and sky blue floor pads that matched the paint job on the outside of the car.

As a child, Brie used to cut out pictures of cars from all the sales flyers that would arrive in the Sunday papers and tape them to her bedroom wall.  She dreamed of someday being the owner of a classic car.

As a teenager she would go "junking" with her brother at the local junkyards to check out the classic cars that had been dumped there.

"Those cars were classy" she said.  She loved their smooth, sleek lines and the tailfins.  The backseats were like sitting on a comfy couch.

The heater in the 57 Chevy didn't work, but it ran really good and purred like a kitten when she started it up.

She kept her Chevy in the garage through the harsh Michigan winters, but enjoyed dusting it off and cruising in it on warm summer weekends.

Phoebe's 16th year!

1966 Ford Mustang

This week's blog is about a very lucky girl, whose mom hated to drive!

Phoebe was 16 when her older brother, Jim, restored a dark green 1966 Mustang.  He gave the Mustang to their mom as a gift.  Phoebe's mom was born and raised in Ireland, she didn't learn how to drive until she was well into her 30's and really didn't like driving anyway.  This was great news for her daughter, Phoebe.  It didn't get much better than to cruise around Royal Oak behind the wheel of a classic Mustang!

One Friday night, after the Kimball High School football game, Phoebe found herself cruising down 13 Mile, heading towards Woodward.  While she was stopped at a light, a souped up Camaro pulled up along side her.  One glance over at the driver and she knew a race was about to ensue!  Green light!  Tires squealing, smoke coming out from behind, both cars lurch forward!  The race is even for a block or so, suddenly, Phoebe sees the Camaro decelerate and turn into a side street.  "Hah, I won!" she thought to herself.

Red flashing lights illuminated the Mustang's white interior.  A short "blip,blip" siren began to sound behind  her.  "Great, my mom's gonna kill me"she thought as she pulled over to the side of the road.

"License and registration" the police officer barked.  While Phoebe fumbled through her wallet, she was suddenly frozen, her cheeks began to radiate heat, "Oh no, I forgot to change my license back" she thought.

She had been in Florida for spring break the week before and had slipped one of her friends at school some money to "fix" her license so it appeared as if she was old enough to get into the bars in Daytona Beach.

With her back still facing the policeman, she had quickly licked a finger and began frantically rubbing her driver's license.  Nothing worked, no matter how hard she rubbed.

Tiny sweat beads formed on her upper lip.  Phoebe reluctantly handed over her paperwork to the officer.  When she looked up at him, she realized Officer Pinto was one of her best friend's fathers!  He knew her very well and he knew she was NOT 18 years old (the legal drinking age in 1982).  She knew she was in HUGE trouble.

Officer Pinto stepped back to his squad car for what seemed like forever.  She saw him approaching in her rear view mirror.  He handed her two tickets; one for going 15 mph over the speed limit and one for a false ID.

In the weeks that followed, she somehow managed to keep all of what took place from her parents.  She had to go in front of a judge who suspended her drivers license for a year and fined her $500 (which she had to beg her brother to loan her).

Her mom's  '66' Mustang didn't get much time on the road that year, but once Phoebe got back behind the wheel, she made up for lost time by cruising up and down Woodward Avenue. She spent most Friday and Saturday nights hanging out with her friends in the parking lot at 13 and Woodward.

Jerry's '55' Chevy 210

1955 Chevy 210

This local story goes back a long way!  I spoke with a gentleman named Jerry who grew up in Detroit back in the 1950's.  He purchased his second car, a 1955 Chevy 210,  when he was a senior in high school.  He was the class of 1958 and had just recently moved into the Farmington Hills School District.

"My claim to fame was my car.  Jerry said proudly.  It had been customized and was hot!"  He had saved up and used his own money to buy this Chevy.  It was his second car, but it was his first (as he put it) "romantic" car.

Jerry had his pride and joy custom painted purple with sparkles.  He said he chose this color so he would stand out when he was cruising.

For all you classic car lovers out there, here are some of it's specs:   It had dual exhaust with flow master mufflers, a beefed up transmission and a truck clutch (for more grab on the road).

His sound system had a reverberator.  For those of you who don't know what a reverberator is (I didn't!), Jerry explained it to me this way, "The sound coming out of the radio in the front of the car is delayed by a millisecond before the sound comes out of the back speakers, creating a stereo sound without a stereo system."

Jerry also had a process called "leading" done.  This is where all the ornaments are taken off and the holes are filled with melted lead, giving the car a very clean look.

Being that Jerry was from Detroit, he wasn't exactly welcomed by the "in crowd" at his new high school.  "I liked to mess with the locals since I was a city boy" he chuckled.

His car was a way to break the ice with his classmates.  Here is a story he shared with me about what took place during a lunch hour one day during his senior year of high school.

A student who had a 1951 Ford challenged Jerry to a race.  "What the heck!  Something to do on your lunch hour right?" Jerry said.

Well, as it turns out the stretch of road from Orchard Lake to Shiawassee (the road the high school was on) measured about a 1/4 mile.  Jerry and the other student met on Orchard Lake Road for the start, taking up both lanes of the highway.  The signal was given and off they went!  "Of course, I won, Jerry stated smugly.  "I knew I could beat him even though he had an eight cylinder and I only had a six cylinder, because six cylinders are quicker off the line."

Jerry's principal caught wind of the drag race the following day and he was suspended for two days!  His mother wasn't very happy about the suspension and took Jerry's car away for a week!  "Unfortunately, I really didn't learn much of a lesson from the whole experience, because I had a love affair with cars that couldn't be tempered by any restrictions, although I never raced in front of school again!"

Since 1958, Jerry's "love affair with cars" has continued throughout the years...he has had over 40 since his 1955 Chevy 210!

My goal for my blog is to cruise around Metro Detroit in search of great stories behind the classic cars of Motown (and it's surrounding suburbs).

 Many classic cars have been handed down from generation to generation.  Some are purchased on a whim.   Many owners have more than one classic car in their collection.  Some are given as a gift.  Some are father and son projects or father and daughter projects. All of them have a story to be told.

I will be finding these stories and share them on my blog along with visuals. Restoration pics, cruising pics, before and after shots.


 I am christening my blog with a 1968 Mustang Coupe, 289 engine, custom orange paint job!

On nice warm days, this classic beauty can be found cruising in Troy, Michigan and on Woodward during the Dream Cruise.

Her name is "Mustang Sally".  She was originally built in California and was recently purchased from a park ranger in Washington State.

Here is the crazy story behind this '68' Mustang and it's current owner.

This gentleman's search for a classic car began in early 2011.  A man in Troy Michigan decided to find his wife a unique 15th wedding anniversary gift.  For years his wife had told him stories about the classic '66' Mustang that she used drive in her high school days and how she and her girlfriends used to drag race down Woodward Ave. every Friday night.

He found the perfect car!  A custom painted, orange '68'Ford Mustang Coupe with a 289 engine!  The price was perfect, there was only one catch, it was in Washington State and he lived in Southeastern Michigan.  He could have had it shipped to him ....or...he could do something crazy and completely out of his normal routine,  like tell your wife you're going golfing with your son for a long weekend and instead, jump on a plane with your 13 year old son, fly across the country, meet up with the seller, a Park Ranger from Washington State Park,  hop in your newly purchased Mustang and begin a memorable, once in a lifetime, road trip across the United States on a rainy weekend in May.

Did I mention rain!  Turns out '68' Mustangs aren't very good at keeping out the rain.  Water was leaking in the windows and hitting them in the face most of their first day on the road.  The car was running great so the man and his son decided to drive into Yellowstone Park.  They were amazed at the beauty of the mountains, the wild animals, the geysers and hot springs, even Old Faithful.

They found out when the sun began to settle into the mountains and the temperature in Montana dropped, that their new purchase had no heat!  A warm, thick Yellowstone souvenir blanket helped keep their toes warm.

Sleeping in road side hotels, eating beef jerky, flying down the freeways at a blistering 60 miles an hour, listening to the Eagles belting out "Take It Easy"...they crossed the country arriving home two days after their journey had begun.

The weary man and his son sneakily pulled the wife's anniversary surprise in a neighbor/friend's driveway.  The son ran in the house towing his golf clubs behind him.  "Mom, I ran in to Cyn (our neighbor) outside, she needs to talk with you for a sec."  

The wife came outside "Surprise!!! Happy Anniversary!" her husband shouted...she froze, mouth hanging open, speechless!

The stories of what had taken place over the last two days spilled out of her son and her husband...the wife with tears in her eyes hugged both of the men, jumped in her new "toy" and with a smile on her face, disappeared down the street!






She was driven across country by a man and his 13 year old son, through Yellowstone Park in Wyoming and made her way to her new home in Troy Michigan (in May of 2011) where she was presented to the man's wife as a surprise anniversary gift.